Parents want LA principal out for Tagalog ban
LOS ANGELES – Filipino parents of students at Precious Blood Catholic School are petitioning to oust its principal, who allegedly banned Tagalog from being spoken on campus.
Some parents believe many of the school’s problems stem from Principal Karen Velasquez’s poor leadership.
Aside from students not learning enough, they claimed Velasquez even asked students, parents and teachers to refrain from speaking to each other in Tagalog at school.
The school has a considerable number of Filipino students. Over half of its total student population of 170 are Filipinos.
Nimfa Cook, a former teacher of Precious Blood, also claimed she was unfairly fired from the school without warning before winter break. She is now planning to sue the school for wrongful termination.
"She said the Spanish people cannot understand. Why will I speak in Tagalog when once in a awhile I hear them speak Spanish as well," said Cook.
With over 20 years of teaching experience as an elementary school teacher, Cook took a job at Precious Blood Catholic School last August. But according to evaluation papers from the school's principal, Cook was not an effective 5th grade teacher.
Cook believes she was only used to recruit students from her previous school Saint Nicholas which closed down.
"This is the first time that I encountered such a person that has no consideration of some sort. After helping her with the enrolment, after convincing them to enroll in Precious Blood, after 5 months, this is it? She's done with me and she will just terminate me?” said Cook.
Parents are currently consulting lawyers, and have begun a petition to oust the principal. There are also 20 dissatisfied students have already left the school.
Sought for comment, Velasquez said she is not allowed to speak to the media.
Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which operates Precious Blood Catholic School, said it does not comment on issues dealing with personnel, but assured that it has spoken to a representative of the group and is working with the pastor and the principal to address the parents’ concerns.
Steve Angeles, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau
http://www.filipinosabroad.com/news/parents-la-principal-tagalog-ban.html
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I didn't posted this inside the FIL EXPAT GROUP FORUM because I would like to hear/read/know everyone's opinion about this.
Before I get acccused of being a racist of/by my own race.., let me be clear that I am not but I see this topic as a good topic to discuss...
But of course, there will be people who will react negatively in my posting this on the main forum...its predictable that there will be colorful phrases and all...
FYI, you don't need to be a Filipino to get my point or so I can get yours. What if the principal ban only the Mexican language? She's probably going to get the same treatment like the one she's in now. American school doesn't require any one to speak only one language though of course when you're participating during class you're required to respond in english but with your peers after class it's just a courtesy if they can't understand you. If there are only 2 or 3 Filipino students there even if they speak tagalog all time they wouldn't care about it. If you're a Filipino & can speak tagalog I doubt you would only speak in english especially when you're with your Filipino peers same with Mexicans or any nationality whose bilingual.
I can't see your point because the principal ban a certain language, she didn't ban a couple but rather one specific language that's why I'm saying it is better if she issued a strict policy of speaking in english with out banning anything given the situation she possibly could have avoided the petition. What's ridiculous is banning tagalog the way you perceived my scenario.
and I expected that...from a filipino...unfortunately, I'm a filipino but i dont agree in a couple of things that filipinos does, especially in a foreign country...tough luck..for the rest.
Since you can't see my point...its non-sensical to discuss further as you see the topic as a suppresion of people/kids speaking tagalog/filipino dialect in an "american" school and would rather point the finger in the other way...
What if they speak chinese or mexican?
The petition to change the principal was for the school.
Yup, they want to only regulate tagalog but not mexican.
My given scenario isn't ridiculous it's almost exactly the same the only difference would be it's based on ethnicity rather than race. You thinking it's ridiculous made my point.
As I said, the faculty is of mixed race (mexican and filipinos) thus decorum should be in place.
The sacked teacher is contemplating on suing the school, not the principal for wrongful termination and either she put the money where her mouth is, instead asking sympathy by media hype...its nonsense.
You miss the whole point... what is being regulated is the speaking in Tagalog "INSIDE" the classroom not within the school premises.
Sorry to say but your allegory/metaphor of the whole thing is ridiculous...
FYI in the Philippines especially in Ubelt Manila even though most speaks in tagalog we would still hear some other dialect like kapangpangan or bicolano with in school premises so do you think it's a good idea to ban only one like kamapangpangan?
You didn't get what I said? The principal ban a specific language so it means they can still converse with any other language but not in tagalog. Providing such a policy like speak in english in a mixed race school regardless it's location will disclose the idea of racial discrimination instead of banning just one specific language. A principal getting sued by a former employee is the story, the school admin would gladly welcome a petition compare to getting sued. You never said the principal doesn't know what she's doing but from "your point of view" like banning a specific language instead of a written policy to speak in english in a mixed race school made her look incompetent.
in the Philippines...not in the US.
The terminated teacher is just the hype...not even related to the petition of replacing the principal.
Correction, I never said that the principal don't know what she's doing..she's the principal, I'm not.
Petition serves its purpose as long as it has valid reasons and not for selfish aims...and the school's owners and management has the right to decide whether the petition has grounds or not. But as long as the principal is doing whats in the bounds of her job/position.
azilana7037... You already said it's a mix so why not issue a "written" policy "speak in english" & avoid excluding only tagalog. What if a mexican decent speak in their own language, do they need to ban it too? From your point of view the principal really doesn't know what she's doing. Like what I said, the real issue here is the terminated teacher though media hype the tagalog thing.
In a classroom where English is used as the language of training/curriculum, all mus speak English...no need for a "written" policy to be enacted to implement such.
I checked the roster of the school faculty members and its a mixture of Filipino and Mexican teachers...
If the parents couldn't conform to the school policy, they look for school with a Tagalog/Filipino curriculum...simple.
But they're on American soil... paying tuition fees are for the school to educate their kids. What is the purpose of the Parent-Teacher Assocciation meetings if these issues couldnt be discussed there?
These parents are teaching their kids to be defiant to the authorities...not good.
Filipino community just want to have the same privilege as the others like speaking in tagalog among them selves but banning a specific language is different from issuing a policy like "speak in english".
or even interviewed non-Filipino parents, it's biased...and its not good.
hate to say this but some Filipinos go over their head thinking they could get away with anything they want using the "we're being treated indifferently" accussations to those who doesn't conform to what they want.
even here, if you talk in TAgalog (say inside the meeting room), they will sanctioned you and yet when they converse in Arabic, you can't do anything. We just need to realize that Filipinos are just very respectful and we know how to respect who is in authority.
The only exception is when I am the one in authority (meaning I am the highest authority in a certain meeting), and I can sanction anyone who don't speak in a language all the attendees understand (which is English, of course) and the others can not sanctioned me if ever (if) I talk in TAgalog as I am the authority at that particular time.
BAck to the topic, maybe the Filipino parents have gone overboard to ask for the principal's head. If she bans the TAgalog inside the classroom, then it's fine (for me) since she is the authority. But of course out of courtesy, she should also prohibits speaking in Spanish in front of non-Spanish speaking people!
and the teacher who got sacked...she is exagerrating.
The parents who are petitioning for the principal to have a filipino principal replacement.
I salute the Filipinos' sense of unity to have something done but at this objective, its wrong (my opinion) coz they want to rule based on majority...I defo doubt if these parents had time to read the students handbook much as understand what's in means.
and if I'm the principal...I would say, go find yourself a achool that teaches TAGALOG/FILIPINO curriculum in LA so you could do whatever your think is right.
I tried to get some background on the story. It seems that there are issues between the Spanish Speaking and Tagalog speaking factions and this is being used as an excuse to take things further.
And the teacher who got fired...it was known that she got sacked because of the parents petition.
I read the Student handbook and what the parents are doing not in accordance of the guidelines.
The principal is Mexican-American and the parents are Filipino-American...
My point is..why insist in speaking in Tagalog in an American school?
I guess the real issue here was the work termination though they highlighted the forbidden language thing. Velasquez declined to comment so basically she didn't want her side to be heard for legal reason or the other.
better to remove the child in that school. IMHO!
Slightly biased reporting ..
Analiza having Saturday Morning Blues :))))))))))))